There's a new kid in the candy aisle.
After raising over $1 million in pre-seed funding, best friends Isabella "Bella" Hughes and Semira Nikou of Oʻahu developed a new line of healthy, fruit-flavored sour gummy candy.
The recipes draw inspiration from their Iranian heritage and their upbringing in Hawaiʻi. Think of flavors like guava, pomegranate and ume.
"We really wanted to capture that pleasant tartness that we grew up enjoying in fresh or dried fruits, and I think most listeners here in Hawaiʻi can probably relate," Hughes said.
Better Sour launched last May in the Los Angeles retail market with half of their angel investors hailing from Hawaiʻi. Now in partnership with the Islander Group, these new gummies are launching locally this month.
"We're taking something that everyone's familiar with. It's really a global commodity, but we're imbuing it with flavors from our heritage, our story. But also it complements this rising trend that you've been seeing over the last few years in consumer packaged goods, in natural, better-for-you products of global flavors, of heritage rich brands and stories," she said.
You may know Hughes as the founder of another local product, Shaka Tea. But she said gummy candy is very different than herbal iced tea.
Nikou said facing challenges as lifelong best friends prepared them for becoming business partners.
"When you've had every single fight in the book from pulling each other's hair to having silent treatments, writing angry letters, when you hit these bumps in the road, we know how to work it out," Nikou told HPR.
Look out for Better Sour in bright pink and green bags at Foodland, Down to Earth and KTA Super Stores. Meet the lifelong besties at a free tasting event on Friday, Jan. 5 at Island-Boy in Kaimuki from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
This story aired on The Conversation on Jan. 5, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. Sophia McCullough adapted this story for the web.
